


Homecoming

by Legal_Assassin



Series: ShuHaru Week 2019 [7]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Shuharu Week 2019, Support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 12:21:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18738919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legal_Assassin/pseuds/Legal_Assassin
Summary: "It'll be weird coming back home tomorrow."





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Last day of ShuHaru Week and the theme is Fireworks/Support. Support jumped out more for me than fireworks did. Because after helping everyone for a year, Ren needs someone to support him.
> 
> Sorry for how late this is; my computer was being a pain, I had previous commitments over the weekend, and I had homework that was due. Fate really didn't want me to post this, but I beat it!
> 
> Story takes place after the events of Persona 5.

It had been too long since Ren saw a starry sky. Tokyo was full of things to do, people he cared about, and memories both good and bad. But he still missed seeing a beautiful night sky like this. Before getting arrested, looking up into the cosmos helped Ren realize how small any problems he had really were. It was like tying his concerns to a balloon and letting it fly far up into space.

Yet even now, when his record was clear and he was heading home with his friends, he couldn't let go of his worries so easily.

The door to the hotel room opened and Haru stepped out onto the balcony. "Ren? Are you still up?" she whispered.

"Mmm." Ren nodded. He scooted over to give Haru room to sit down next to him.

She looked up at the sky. "It's so beautiful," she murmured. "I've only seen this at the planetarium, but it doesn't quite compare. Now I understand why Yusuke-kun was up the last couple of nights."

"He needs to get more sleep," Ren said. "But I can't wait to see what artwork he creates from this."

The couple were silent for awhile, just taking in the scenery together. Then Haru spoke up.

"You've been very quiet today. Is something wrong?"

Ren let out a sigh. No use hiding it. Besides, if watching the sky wasn't going to help, maybe talking to someone would. He learned that all too well over his year in Tokyo. "It's going to be weird coming back home tomorrow," he said. "I mean, it would've been weird no matter what, but after everything that happened to me this last year..." He raised a hand to adjust his glasses, which weren't there. Old habits died hard, he guessed. "...it's going to be a major adjustment."

"Ryuji-kun mentioned that your hometown might not let you off so easily even though your record is clear," Haru said. "Is that the problem?"

"Only a part," Ren said. "I can deal with the rumors just fine. I learned to brush them off my first week at Shujin. But there's other stuff, too. I was a completely different person back then. You wouldn't have recognized me at all. I would just blend into my surroundings and not cause a scene unless I thought I needed to." He smiled wryly. "Sometimes, in spite of my best judgement, I wonder if maybe we wouldn't have ended up like this if we met then."

Haru leaned into him. "I'd like to think it would've worked out no matter what," she said. "From what the others have told me, you've always been a kind person."

Ren's smile became more genuine. "I'd like to think that, too," he said. His smile faded. "Honestly, it's my parents I'm the most worried about, though."

Haru turned to look up at him. "Did they... treat you differently? After the arrest?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. Sending me away was hard for them, too, I imagine. But..." He exhaled. "It was what they said about what I did. My dad told me 'it's just the way the world is' and my mom said my heart was too soft. Like I just made a childish mistake and that I was supposed to learn from this and mature. I even believed that for awhile. I didn't stop and wonder if that was true until Ryuji's life was in danger and Arsene was questioning my will."

Ren didn't tell Haru that even at that time he was still blaming himself. That it took him just wanting to save Ryuji to awaken to his powers and then question what had been drilled into him since his arrest.

"I'm sure my parents meant well, but it screwed me up," he said. "And now I'm wondering if they still think the same thing now. Because I don't want to go back to acting like standing up for what's right is wrong. And if some asshole like Shido tries something while I'm around, I wouldn't be able to let it go even if it means getting arrested again." He slouched against the wall. "I'm just going to break their hearts more."

He wasn't crying; it took a lot to make him cry. But his heart was heavy. His parents may have been wrong about what they said to him, but he still loved them. He wanted to go back to how things were between them, before his arrest.

But that would mean denying an essential part of him.

Two arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him over. He felt a chin rest on his head. 

"I'm sorry," Haru said. "I don't know what I can say to help you. This all I can do."

Ren put a hand on Haru's back. "This helps a lot more than you think," he said.

"You know everyone is here for you if it becomes too much, right?" Haru asked. "No matter what you face back home or with your parents, we'll support you however we can."

Ren smiled. "I know," he said. "That's why I wasn't worried about what I was going to tell them about you guys." He sat up and gave a peck on Haru's forehead. "And why I'm not worried about introducing you to my family."

Haru giggled a little. "That was something I had been preoccupied with, to be honest," she said.

The two leaned back against the wall, snuggled up next to each other and watching the stars.

"I wouldn't mind staying out here a little longer," Haru said. "If it's alright with you?"

Ren nodded. He felt like a weight had been taken off of him and was now floating up into the vast sky to join the stars above.


End file.
